Château Angelus is another ofthe four Saint-Émilion PremierGrand Cru classé A wines.Angelus earned its name froman everyday event. On a dailybasis, the people workingtheir Bordeaux vineyards, onhearing the bells from thethree local churches wouldpause for a prayer. That soundinspired the now famousname of the château as wellas the logo and the sculptureof the logo that appears in thebackyard of the property.

Lifestyle, Local Lifestyle, Style, Style Observer, Tuesday Style

September 4, 2013

The Wines of Saint-Émilion

Wine Rack

Bordeaux is one of the most important wine regions in the world. Bordeaux the wine region surrounds Bordeaux the city. There is a very important river called the Gironde that divides the region into two productions areas, what we in the wine world simply call the left bank and the right bank. The Gironde is fed by the Garonne and the Dordogne. In between these two is called Entre-Deux-Mers (between two seas). The left and right bank differ mainly in soil composition, which in turn affects types of grapes and the style of wine produced. The left bank generally produces big, tannic Cabernet-based wines, while the right bank generally produces plummy soft-tannin, fruit-forward, Merlot-based red wines. There are a host of sub-districts and sub-wine regions on either side; today we focus on one of the main regions from the right bank: Saint-Émilion.

Saint-Émilion

Often described as one of the most beautiful wine regions in France, Saint-Émilion produces elegant, soft, lush, round wines mainly from Merlot blended with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. If you like Merlot, do try wines from Saint-Émilion.

A number of wine classifications exist in France. Saint-Émilion has its own system which was created in 1955 and is updated every 10 years and consists of the following levels: Premier grand cru classé A, Premier grand cru classé B, and Grand cru classé. There are currently four estates at the highest level: Château Angélus, Château Ausone, Château Cheval Blanc and Château Pavie. These classifications and ranking systems seek to provide us consumers with a point of reference, of sorts. As you might imagine, wines in the higher classifications tend to garner higher prices.

While on our recent trip to France we travelled to the Saint-Émilion wine region, visiting Château Fonplégade and Château Soutard. Both are classified as Grand cru classé wineries in the region. Tasting these wines proved to be “aha” moments for some in our team who now began to see what all the fuss about wine is. Our group also visited the picturesque town of Saint-Émilion, which is registered as a world heritage site by UNESCO, thanks to its medieval monuments and unspoilt ancient French charm.

Are Saint-Émilion wines available in Jamaica?

It is perhaps due to their price point, but we don’t have a wide range of Saint-Émilion wines available in Jamaica at this time. In a recent search around Kingston, I found only four: Château Tour Des Combes Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Mouton Cadet Saint-Émilion, Château Billeron, and Château Teyssier. With the right contact you can get some Château Cheval Blanc, but be prepared to pay handsomely.

While really great wines are made all over the world, I would encourage wine lovers to try wines from countries that have been making wines based on centuries of tradition versus wines made with science and technology.

Christopher Reckord — businessman, entrepreneur & wine enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Reckord

I want it all’ is what Anna-Kay Tomlinson, chef/patron of Miss T’s Kitchen inOcho Rios, seems to be saying on a recent visit to the cellar room of ChâteauFonplégade, Saint-Émilion.

Château Cheval Blanc(translated: white horse)has a long, colourful historyin Saint-Émilion that istraced all the way back to1832. Château Cheval Blancis one of the four PremierGrand Cru classé A wines.The last time I checked abottle of this wine costJ$125,000.00.

What we tasted (from left:) Fleur de Fonplégade Rosé, 2009Château L’Enclos Pomerol, 2007 Fleur de Fonplégade, and theproperty’s flagship wine Château Fonplégade Saint-ÉmilionGrand Cru 2004. We also tried the barrel sample of 2012Château Fonplégade Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Delightful!

Saint-Émilion’s history goes back to prehistoric times and is aworld heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churchesand ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets. Thetown was named after the monk Émilion, a travellingconfessor, who settled in a hermitage carved into the rockthere in the 8th century. It was the monks who followed himwho started up the commercial wine production in the area.

Château Soutard dates all the way back to 1513. In 2006, ChâteauSoutard went from being a family-owned estate to part of a large,corporate empire when it was purchased by La Mondiale, theFrench insurance company. La Mondiale was already well-versedin the Bordeaux wine trade at the time of the transaction, as theyalready owned Château Larmande and Château Grand Faurie.

Château Ausone,another of thefour Saint-ÉmilionPremier GrandCru classé Awineries, is oneof the fewfamedBordeauxwine estatesthat haveseldomchanged handsover the years.In fact, onlythree differentfamilies haveowned thisSaint-Émilionestate since itwas originally

MoutonCadet SaintÉmilionisperhaps oneof the mostwidelyavailableSaintÉmilionwines inJamaica.

2007 Château Soutard, Saint- Émilion Grand Cru. Deep youngred. Elegant nose combining small black fruit and woody,toasted fragrances. Firm, dense, tightly wrapped on the palate.Still very young.

Château Larmande is one of the oldest estates in Saint-Émilion.Documents exist that help date this right-bank property all theway back to 1585! The Château Larmande 2003 – aromas ofblackberry and vanilla follow through to a medium-bodiedpalate, with firm tannins and a chocolate and fresh herb finish.

Château Fonplégade is located close to the south-east part of Saint-Émilionvillage. Ancient Roman ruins date the birth of the estate as a vineyard to about400 AD. The name Fonplégade means full or bent fountain. It was derived fromthe clay terroir that supports numerous small running springs in various bentshapes that are located on the estate. The winery is now owned by AmericansStephen and Denise Adams. (PHOTOS: CHRISTOPHER RECKORD)

The Wines of Saint-Émilion

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